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Editorial illustration of Denny Laine playing a four-string bass guitar, informed by a 1976 photograph

Rock History

On This Day: Denny Laine, a Voice and Guitar at the Heart of Wings

On the anniversary of Denny Laine’s birth, a look at his singing, guitar playing and songwriting—and a listening route through Time to Hide.

GuitarGangsters Editorial 1 min read

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Reference-guided editorial illustration of Denny Laine playing bass, not a documentary concert photograph. Reference: “Denny Laine - Wings - 1976.jpg” by Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0. New illustrated composition and lighting; illustration adaptation shared under the same licence. The GuitarGangsters logo is a separate brand mark.

October 29 marks the birth of Denny Laine in 1944. On the 82nd anniversary of his birth, there is a good reason to look beyond the famous name beside him: Laine was a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose own work belongs in the Wings story.

More than McCartney’s bandmate

In his December 2023 tribute, Paul McCartney recalled Laine joining Wings at the outset and praised both his singing and guitar playing. He also remembered Laine’s vocal on “Go Now” and their songwriting partnership, including “Mull of Kintyre”. That combination—voice, instrument and composition—is a useful starting point for remembering him.

Start with “Time to Hide”

For a focused listening choice, try “Time to Hide” on Wings at the Speed of Sound, released in 1976. The official album credits identify Laine as its writer and lead singer. He also sings lead on “The Note You Never Wrote”, so the record offers two different ways to hear his voice within the group.

Then move to the live “Time to Hide” on Wings Over America. Its official credits list Laine on vocals and electric and acoustic guitar, among other instruments. Those are album-level credits, not proof of which instrument he played on every track: the distinction matters when following a musician who moved between roles.

A song his friends returned to

In 2024, former bandmates McDonald’s Farm marked what would have been Laine’s 80th birthday with their own “Time to Hide”, incorporating his harmonica from a 2007 performance. It is a fitting invitation for this anniversary: revisit a song with his name in the writing credit, then follow the musician behind it.

Reference-guided editorial illustration of Denny Laine playing bass, not a documentary concert photograph. Reference: “Denny Laine – Wings – 1976.jpg” by Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0. New illustrated composition and lighting; illustration adaptation shared under the same licence. The GuitarGangsters logo is a separate brand mark.